After the Love Has Gone was produced by Maurice White and written by David Foster, Jay Graydon, and Bill Champlin. The single's b-side was a song called Rock That. Both songs came from Earth, Wind & Fire's 1979 studio albumI Am. The songs origin's date back to when David Foster was working on an album for Motown Records singer Jaye P. Morgan. The album was released in Japan and never took off in the United States. Foster later went to Motown to let the executives hear some of the material. Foster was in the middle of a song and ad-libbed the chorus to "After The Love Has Gone", as he had forgotten the words. Foster and Jay Graydon then asked Bill Champlin to write lyrics to the music after Graydon had come up with an idea for the verse. At the time, Foster was producing Champlin's 1978 solo debut Single for Full Moon/Epic Records and was working with Earth, Wind & Fire around the time they were recording their album I Am. Foster then showed Maurice White the song, which White loved and wanted to record. Foster and Graydon later told Champlin that the song was being pulled off his album for inclusion on Earth, Wind & Fire's album - to which Champlin agreed to having the track removed. According to former manager turned Sony Music EntertainmentCEOTommy Mottola, Foster previously offered the song to Hall and Oates, but they rejected it, as they were not interested in singing songs written by anyone other than themselves. Co-writer Graydon commented about the song's background: Earth, Wind & Fire bassist Verdine White revealed that "After the Love Has Gone" was one of their most difficult songs to record:
"The track was based on a vibe. We cut it about six, seven times, and Maurice just said, "No, it's not right yet. We'll come back and get it tomorrow. It's not right yet". And then one day we nailed it, and it was right. The way it felt. It sounded like Earth, Wind & Fire".
Critical reception
described After the Love Has Gone as "an exercise in classic songcraft – the horn section's precise jabs and the exquisite harmonies dazzle" Rose Riggins of Gannett wrote Maurice White's "talents are vividly expressed through 'Wait' and 'After The Love is Gone.' But he has yet to recapture the enchantment of the previous recording of 'Love's Holiday' off the All-n-All album." Matthew Greenwald of Allmusic proclaimed that a "simple soul-based melody and groove underlines the bittersweet goodbye message of the lyrics. But it's the arrangement that captured audience's attention, as it combined the group's vocal counterpoint harmony genius in full glory. A swinging saxophone in the song's middle-eight bridge also added an element of jazz". Ace Adams of the New York Daily News called After the Love Has Gone one of the album's "best songs". Phyl Garland of Stereo Review noted that the song is "laced with unexpected Wonder-ful progressions". "After the Love Has Gone" was Grammy nominated for Record of the Year and won in the category of Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. The song also won a Grammy in the category of Best R&B Song for Foster, Graydon and Champlin as its composers. "After the Love Has Gone" has been placed on Bruce Pollock's list of The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944-2000.
The original recording of "After the Love Has Gone" by Airplay was released on their 1980 eponymous album following Earth, Wind & Fire's hit version. Stanley Turrentine also covered the song on his 1981 album Tender Togetherness. During 1993, Jay Graydon released a version of the song on his solo album Airplay for the Planet. Phil Perry's rendition of the tune featuring Vesta appeared on his 1994 studio album Pure Pleasure. David Benoit and Russ Freeman also covered the song on their 1994 collaboration album, The Benoit/Freeman Project. Jazz Guitarist Norman Brown's rendition of the tune appeared on his 1996 album Better Days Ahead. 112 covered the tune on the 1998 album New York Undercover: A Night at Natalie's. Tommy Emmanuel and CDB released a version as the lead single from Emmanuel's 1998 album, Collaboration. The song peaked at number 74 in Australia. UK boyband Damage covered the song on their 2001 album Since You've Been Gone, as well as Donny Osmond on his 2002 album Somewhere in Time. Martes 8:30, a Latin jazz group, covered the song on their 2002 album Sinceramente; this version is noted for having a female lead vocal, as well as an extended sax solo by Ed Calle. Mint Condition's version appeared on their 2007 album '. Kurt Elling covered this song on his 2011 LP The Gate. Eric Benet's rendition featured on his 2014 album '.
Personnel
Written and composed by - David Foster, Jay Graydon, and Bill Champlin
